Aurora Starchild
The United States is facing a serious epidemic and I’m not talking about COVID. I’m talking about racism and violence. An Asian student from Indiana University was stabbed repeatedly in the head while on a public bus in Bloomington, Indiana last week. The suspect was taken into custody and admitted that it was a racially motivated assault.
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Asian Student Was Attacked While Waiting for Public Bus Door to Open
According to eye-witness reports and surveillance footage, a 56-year-old woman named Billy R Davis took out a folding knife. She then repeatedly stabbed the Asian student in her head. The victim, an 18-year-old female, was waiting for the bus doors to open. She had no prior interaction with Davis and the attack was entirely unprovoked.
The attack occurred around 4:45 pm on Wednesday, January 11. According to a police statement obtained by ABC, the victim said her attacker “began to strike her repeatedly in the head, which resulted in immediate pain,” as she was waiting for the bus door to open.
The Attacker Admitted to Racial Motivation
A witness then followed the attacker, who had fled the scene on foot. The witness called the police, who later arrested Davis. The victim was rushed to the hospital and found to have received multiple stab wounds in her head.
Once arrested, Davis allegedly told detectives that she attacked the Asian student because there would be “one less person to blow up our country.” She is being charged with assault and attempted murder.
Bloomington, Indiana Mayor John Hamilton condemned the attack and vowed to act against the rise of hate crimes our society is facing.
Here is Mayor Hamilton’s statement.
“Following the brutal attack of a member of our community, I want to state categorically that here in the city of Bloomington we deplore any form of racism and discrimination, especially hate based violence. This behavior is not acceptable and will be dealt with accordingly.
“I appreciate the quick response of a witness to the crime who helped police locate and identify the suspect along with the Bloomington Police Department and the Indiana University community of care for embracing the victim and providing appropriate support as she goes through this terrible ordeal.
“We know when a racially motivated incident like this resonates throughout the community, it can leave us feeling less safe. We stand with the Asian community and all who feel threatened by this event. Our staff will continue to do all we can for the victim and the larger community.
“Bloomington is a relatively safe place but we are not immune to issues with which our entire nation is dealing. This senseless incident is a reminder that we should all look out for each other, be aware of our surroundings and seek to combat racism and prejudice in all its forms wherever and whenever we encounter it.”
Statement from Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton
Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Have Risen Since COVID
The recent attack on the Asian Indiana University student is just another example of the horrors that AAPI people have to face every day. The woman was merely waiting for a bus door to open when she was stabbed.
Stop AAPI Hate (AAPI means Asian American and Pacific Islander) reports nearly 11,500 Asian hate crimes were committed from the start of the COVID pandemic to March 31, 2022. That does not account for hate crimes committed against AAPI people between March 2022 and now.
According to Stop AAPI Hate, the influx in Anti-Asian sentiment has skyrocketed along with inflammatory political rhetoric. Specifically, rhetoric has used Asian people as scapegoats for issues related to the pandemic. The organization states that two-thirds of the reported hate crime incidents involve harassment of some kind. Additionally, women, LGBTQIA+, and elderly AAPI people are more likely to be targeted. This is due to additional stigmas and prejudices directed toward them.
You can read the latest Stop AAPI Hate report here.
